Agenda Item Name:
Title
Recognize unanticipated revenue for Springs Protection Tag Grants
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Presenter:
Stacie Greco
Description:
Request approval of a Budget Amendment in the amount of $27,800, adoption of a Resolution to recognize unanticipated revenue for Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Protect Florida Springs Tag (License Plate) Grants accepting the grant award, and approve an inter-fund loan for $27,800.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the Budget Amendment and adopt the Resolution to recognize unanticipated revenue for the Springs Tag Grants; approve an inter-fund loan for $27,800.
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Prior Board Motions:
NA
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
EPD will provide $2,000 in matching funds for the Aquifer Awareness Campaign from 001.55.5511 or from the grant funded NPDES Partnership budget in 087.55.5511, if approved by the funding partners.
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Background:
The County is receiving grant funding from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through the Protect Florida Springs Tag Grant program. Alachua County has previously received numerous FWC tag (license plate) grants administered through the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. beginning in state fiscal year 2012/2013 focusing on springs protection in the Santa Fe River basin. These are reimbursement grants and will require a loan from the general fund for the full amount of the grants, a combined total of $27,800. The grants are effective for a period of 18 months, beginning in January 2020 and ending in June 2021. Three different grants were awarded. Revenue for these grants will be booked under fund number 260.55.5511.337.3000 and expenses will be booked under fund number 260.55.5511.537.3100. The project numbers are listed below.
PFS 20-07 - Aquifer Awareness Education Campaign ($10,000) Project Number 4205501. In this project we will conduct an aquifer awareness education campaign to inform the public that the water that comes from our taps, showers, and sprinklers is from the aquifer beneath us and is the same water that our springs depend upon. This project will include a media mix based on the results from a 2019 Aquifer Awareness Campaign and will likely include billboards and social media.
PFS 20-06 - Herbivory and Recreational Exclusion Device Study ($8,400) Project Number 4205503. This project seeks to investigate herbivory and recreational stressors on native aquatic vegetation. The study will assess the success of native vegetation through the use of caged exclusion plots to prevent recreational damage and reduce herbivory to planted and existing stands of native submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).
PFS 20-02 - Nitrate Concentrations in Groundwater of the Santa Fe River Basin and Outreach ($9,400) Project Number 4205502. In this project we will sample selected wells for nitrate, total phosphorus, potassium and chloride, and map the results in the Santa Fe River Basin. Social media will be used to recruit locations for sampling. In addition, ACEPD will conduct outreach at local festivals to provide area residents with information on spring protection, including information on minimizing fertilizer use and water conservation.